Two University of Windsor Master of Engineering Management students have turned their class business plan into a reality.

Easa Ahmadzai and Samer Toukan say their Master of Engineering Management (MEM) courses in finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, and marketing helped them found Archery Mayhem — a combat archery game similar to dodgeball that replaces the ball with bows and soft foam-tipped arrows.

“We do everything from finance and IT to designing bows and arrows, and marketing,” Toukan says. “And all of those skills are skills we picked up in the MEM program.”

The two launched Archery Mayhem in April 2018 and say the response has been excellent.

“Our customer retention is more than 50 per cent week over week. As soon as people know about us, they keep coming back,” says Toukan. “We think our experience is second to none in Windsor.”

The MEM program, offered by the Faculty of Engineering in partnership with the Odette School of Business, is the only weekend engineering management degree offered in the province. The two-year program allows working professionals like Ahmadzai and Toukan to earn their master’s degree without interrupting their careers.

As a product development engineer with Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, Ahmadzai is responsible for assessing million dollar purchasing quotes from an engineering standpoint.

“A part of my role includes assessing the validity of quotes and I believe the MEM finance and accounting courses have significantly improved my financial literacy,” says Ahmadzai. “The MEM program can open many doors and becoming an entrepreneur is just one of them.”

Toukan and Ahmadzai are on track to complete the program this summer with the inaugural class.

Archery Mayhem is located in Central Park Athletics at 3400 Grand Marais Road East. Each 75-minute session costs $20 a person and includes 15 minutes of briefing, basic archery training, practice time, and 50 minutes of game play.

Learn more about the MEM program at uwindsor.ca/mem.

Kristie Pearce